Simplicity does not mean making do with less, but appreciating the important things more. It means making deliberte decisions to surround yourself only with objects that inspire, comfort, soothe and serve you. Paring down to those essentials is more than just cleaning, organizing, or rearranging. Clearing away the clutter is a spiritual endeavor made up of choices, not chores, and the process itself can be as satisfying and empowering as the results: With every decision, you are creating a calm, clear space for your self. You are making room for wonderful new gifts to come into your life, such as order, serenity, and creativety.

Saturday, January 16, Velma Crain’s family met with her in Redding for lunch to celebrate her 97th birthday. Elmer, Mary, Emily, Melanie and I arrived at Velma’s (Elmer’s mother) about 12:00pm. Mary and Emily hadn’t been at Velma’s for some years, so I was able to give a tour of the home, the yard with about a half acre of planted gardens. Showing them the shed with our inheritance safe inside, different flower areas (bulbs, cut flowers, propagation pots), vegetable garden plot with fencing (deer out or veggies in), the potting shed and how the watering was done. Aaron and his family arrived about 12:30. So we did a repeat tour. Alyce found use for a shed in their yard after seeing Grandma’s. We then left to meet the rest of the family at the Redding Airport for a Chinese lunch. There were about 40 attending. Velma’s brother, Leonard, 4 of her children and their spouses, many grandchildren and great-grandchildren, a nephew with spouse and their grandchild, Sam, Barbara and several Garden Club friends. We had plenty of food, a delicious cake, much laughter and merriment. A very typical Crain get-together. We arrived home about 5:30pm, thankful for family and a safe trip.

“If a hungry friend came and knocked at your door on a cold night, you would graciously welcome her in, sit her by the fire, help her shed her wet, clumsy clothes. You’d give her a blanket to wrap herself in and a cup of hot soup to warm and nourish herself. Then, when she was well fed and comfortable, her story might emerge. Your hospitality, your love and acceptance would soothe your friend, and the soft warm light of your hearth would pull her out of her dark night. This is what our soul asks us to do for ourselves every night when we cross threshold to the hearth of our homes.” Elizabeth Murray

I’m thankful to have a home that offers warmth and shelter and if on a good day, delicious food. The Lord has blessed me abundantly.

“Prayer and housekeeping—they go together. They have always gone together. We simply know that our daily round is how we live. When we clean and order our homes, we are somehow also cleaning and ordering ourselves. How we hold the simplest tasks speaks loudly about how we hold life itself.”

A week ago I was given some information about a situation that greatly affects me. As it stands, my plan for purchasing a house this year is on hold. When this was brought to my attention at first I was devastated. What was I going to do now? If I didn’t purchase before the end of November I won’t be able to take advantage of a tax credit. The housing prices are rising and I won’t be able to purchase for a long time. This dream seemed to have crashed to the ground and shattered in a million pieces…

But then the Lord came to me and asked if it was committed. Why yes the house is, the house on Merton was, but I had to work on getting the dream of a house by the end of this year committed, any house. As I worked the better part of that evening to get it all committed, the Lord brought such a great peace and comfort. I don’t have to be worried. And the prayer that I have prayed through this whole situation of, “Lord where ever, when ever and for how much” God knows what we can handle and if our desire is to be in his will, even if it is different than our own, he will give that grace and peace to be able to stand where he wants us to stand.

I am thankful to say that it is committed, the house on Merton, a house by November 31 and a house by the age of 25…God knows and will provide. If it is his will for me to have a house by any of these standards than it will be his miracle and he will definitely get all the honor and glory. If it isn’t his will, than we will just wait and see what it is, I am sure that it is destined to be the best for me and all those that are involved.

As for my offer on the house, I am not going to pull it, God is a big God. If it is his will, he will work it out. If it isn’t, he will work that out to. I just have to sit back, wait patiently and trust that whatever the outcome, it will be perfect.

1. Likes yellow roses the best
2. Doesn’t like her feet messed with
3. Favorite meal to eat out Breakfast
4. First choice dark chocolate with almonds
5. Favorite vacation spot – ocean beaches
6. Next car Hyundai Genesis ( I’m hoping)
7. Loves to knit and challenge myself with new stitches
8. Determined to finish quilting projects
9. Would rather piece tops than quilt them
10. Happy my children live in Sacramento area
11. Been married 42 years
12. Born in Fresno, at St Agnus Hospital
13. Never lived more than 4 hours away from Fresno
14. Went to 4 grammar schools, 1 jr. high and 1 high school
15. Attended both ARC and Sac City jr. colleges for assorted classes
16. Could eat Chinese food several meals a week
17. Favorite color green
18. Favorite songs Not My Will and Every Need Supplied
19. Enjoys having stuff organized
20. but Procrastinates about organizing stuff
21. Volunteers in Kyle’s second grade class
22. Reads many types of books: mystery, science fiction, light romance, espionage
23. Grows violets, now that I know their favorite window, they bloom
24. Mistreats orchids and sometimes they bloom
25. Definitely a night person
26. Has seen sunrises and sunsets and knows the sunrises are not worth getting up for
27. Will get up early to see hot air balloons rise
28. Favorite holiday – thanksgiving
29. Enjoys being by myself
30. Enjoys just driving around for no real reason or destination
31. Loves to stop at yarn and quilt shops in new cities
32. Doesn’t really like garage sales
33. Knows that grandchildren are a special blessing from God
34. Loves black walnut ice cream at Baskin Robbins
35. Fascinated about how children learn
36. Knows audio books are the answer to how to anything and read at the same time
37. Thinks Bacon, tomato, Avocado sandwiches is a good breakfast
38. Must have lots of open (without curtains or blinds) windows in her house
39. Loves ironed pillowcases
40. Is learning to blog
41. Is being more open to people
42. Would like to go horse back riding on the beach
43. Collects thimbles from places she has been, has 30 (not all from places, some gifts)
44. Loves scissors that are less than 7 inches long
45. Thinks her children are wonderful, smart, beautiful and clean up well
46. Is a yarn and fabric fondler
47. Doesn’t have a passport, yet
48. Favorite scripture: Malachi 3:6a For I am the LORD, I change not;
49. Loves the fall because of the cool weather and the wind and the rain
50. Thinks she wants to own a dog
51. Would love to take a long road trip every year, home or abroad
52. Gets very frustrated with mechanical things that don’t work right, right now
53. Doesn’t really like to shop for clothes
54. Could not have picked more perfect daughter in laws
55. Volunteers at a school library one day a week during school year
56. Loves to look up words in the dictionary
57. Thinks thrift shops are okay
58. Would like to travel to England, Wales, Ireland, and Scotland
59. Is going on her first cruise this year,
60. August 16 is my birthday and I am 60 years old.